EDI-BHX
BE279
G-JEDK
ETD: 07.05 ETA: 08.15
ATD: 08.30 ATA: 09.30
Ok, here we go. I woke up at 4.45 am 😮 and by the time my Dad and I had checked in, it was 05.45. At this stage all was fine and we were all set for an on time departure. Or so we thought. We proceeded straight through security and into departures. Since we had a bit of time to spare we walked the length of EDI, checking out all the night stoppers. One aircraft of particular interest was the CSA 735 in the special Brandenburg livery, it’s becoming common! 😉
Anyway, as we were heading back to the other end of the terminal where our gate was, I noticed a pilot at an information desk, strange. Not to worry we continued on, on arriving at our gate, the pilot who we had seen made the dreaded announcement, due to severe ATC failure at Swanick, all BA flights were indefinitely cancelled. Obviously if the whole UK airspace is down it wasn’t just going to be BA flights going nowhere! After that announcement-from a BA pilot operating the morning LGW flight- others started rolling in, this flight and another all indefinitely delayed. Until they decided to relay a general announcement for all passengers that all flights were grounded and going nowhere! 😮 Well, we just couldn’t believe it! How is this possible on this one day that we were having a quick hassle free day trip to the motor show, or at least that’s what we wanted.
So we waited and waited and then action! BA started boarding their 757 flight to LHR at about 7.30am, only to announce that it won’t be going anywhere till atleast 11am! 😮 No action! 😉
We waited longer until the first departure announcement was called, and sod’s law it was a BA flight to BHX! We could have booked on that flight but at the time Flybe were cheaper and the times were better.
Anyway, so of it went, the first passenger aircraft to depart in 1.5hrs. That KLM flight was very lucky!
One thing I did notice was that the cargo movements were still going through the grounding, no compromise for the pilots safety then! 😉
Anyway boarding was finally called at about 08.15 through gate 12B thus requiring us to be bussed to the aircraft, a first for me at EDI. We drew up at the hard stands where 2 BA ERJs, 2 Flybe Q400s, Scotairways D328 etc. were sitting.
G-JEDI was there, the Star Wars plane!! 😀 Unfortunately it was clear JEDK was going to be our aircraft.
We were seated in row 12A and B with the engine completely obstructing my view of anything except down! Initial impressions were good, comfy seats and lots of legroom, a conventional LCC would quite happily sacrifice the legroom for a couple of rows of extra seats, but now Flybe. The had about 30-35 passengers travelling.
I was impressed with the powerful take-off, it was 757 style. Climbed into the cloud and to a cruise of 23000.
It was quite clear when our descent had began. What a kamikaze descent! 😮
With no throttling back the pilot just pointed the aircraft for the ground at a very steep angle going by usual standards. We landed on 33 at BHX so we got a great overview on the downwind leg. Firm touchdown and that was it arrived at about 09.30 1.5 hrs late, so it could have been much worse.
Saw CO on taxi in as well as a MYT 767 and the Jaguar logojet, which I’ve seen quite often recently, I only got a quick glimpse of the Uzbekistan 757 as we headed for the Skyrail, a very efficient system by the way!
No time for spotting in the morning, however the return leg report will follow as will pics! 😀
By: RIPConcorde - 7th June 2004 at 16:53
Well, I’m pretty sure TNT don’t send their BAe146s North, the other movement was a Parcel Force Hs748(?) which could have been heading to ABZ but I’m not sure?
By: EGNM - 7th June 2004 at 13:20
[QUOTE=RIPCONCORDE]One thing I did notice was that the cargo movements were still going through the grounding, no compromise for the pilots safety then! [QUOTE]
Please don’t make comments like this unless you know what you are talking about! SOme of the Freighters heading northbound could route on a VFR flightplan with assistance via Scottish mil, as advised by ATC.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 5th June 2004 at 17:27
Brillaint report mate.
By: Mark L - 4th June 2004 at 19:21
Interesting report, and encouraging to know that I am not the only one that noticed the Q for Quiet Dash 8 Q400 seems more noisy and more uncomfortable on the longer sectors, I flew BHD-LGW on one last year, and found it rather distracting, albeit quite soothing, making me full asleep for the first time ever on an aircraft! It only lasted a few seconds though as I fell forward and smashed my head on the seat in front, a process which was repeated 4 or 5 times 😀
By: LBARULES - 4th June 2004 at 17:36
Great report mate, glad you had a good day despite all the disruption 🙂
By: RIPConcorde - 4th June 2004 at 15:58
On the outbounud flight I was sitting right next to the left landing gear and it was fine, it was on the way back I was sitting right next to the actual propellor and on take-off at full power the vibrations got quite unpleasant.
I was mesmerised by the prop, it spins so fast! 🙂
By: Comet - 4th June 2004 at 15:50
Great report, glad you liked the Aviation Experience, I loved it when I was there (and I can’t wait to go again 😀 ).
I quite like being near the engine in a prop, in the Fokker 50 it is fun to see the props being started up, and also to see the landing gear being raised and lowered. And props have an awesome descent – they always seem to nose dive, and that is a superb way to approach somewhere like London City! Never tried a prop at BHX.
By: RIPConcorde - 4th June 2004 at 15:43
Yes, we have one from the old computer but it would have to be installed and all, but as there is already one installed internally in the computer we are reluctant to do that just now.
By: wannabe pilot - 4th June 2004 at 15:41
Hmm, the cables are the key I’m afraid. Unless you go out and buy a new memory card reader, which will plug in via your pc.
By: RIPConcorde - 4th June 2004 at 15:38
I think so, but I heard my Dad mutter earlier that he can’t find the cables!! 😡
I am determined to get this fixed! 🙂
By: wannabe pilot - 4th June 2004 at 15:34
Great report, I know what you mean about the engine being in the way after my recent Malaysia Airlines F50 flight! Does your camera have a connection which links it from the camera through a lead directly to the USB port in the computer?
On my camera I simply have a lead which I plug in from the camera to the USB port in the computer, then (with a memory card inside the camera) turn the camera on, the computer will notice something has been plugged in and then you can get your shots.
By: RIPConcorde - 4th June 2004 at 14:50
Ok, I came online today hoping to show you all the pics. But….. :rolleyes:
The digital camera I used has a memory card and not inbuilt memory, so to get the pics onto the computer you insert the memory card in a Smart Media slot in the front of the computer. Slotted it in this morning and the card readers aren’t reading the card!! 😡 We have no idea how to fix it but until it is I can’t show you the pics! 😡 Sorry.
By: bmi-star - 4th June 2004 at 08:16
Good report man! Lucky u didn’t get much disruption. The Aviation Experience is great. I got a flybe DVD there last Saturday. I hope i’ll get a Q400 to GCI:D
By: Bmused55 - 4th June 2004 at 07:40
Ah yes, the descent. Rather exiting in a turboprop.
By: RIPConcorde - 4th June 2004 at 01:12
BHX-EDI
BE294
G-JEDK
ETD: 19.55 ATD: 20.35
ETA: 21.05 ATA: 21.30
The return flight wasn’t as exciting as the outbound.
Arrived at the gate after having spent a while at the excellent aviation experience with good views of the runway and a couple of great cameras that looked out over two different areas of the apron, and they were user controlled i.e by me! 😀
You could zoom in/out pan left/right and up/down, they were excellent. I also bought a sooper good Flybe Q400 model from the shop they have. 😉
We arrived at the gate, 58, the same as we arrived through to find G-JEDK sitting there, it soon became apparent that it hadn’t moved all day since it had brought us to BHX because of the dry outline of an aircraft underneath it, it had been raining on and off all afternoon.
We took out seats 6A and B right beside the left prop. This meant better views all around itstead of just down! 😉
We taxied out for a r/w 33 take-off, powered-up and there was that great power of the Q400 again, but also, the vibrations!! 😮 I thought my head was going to explode! Being so close to the actual propeller really made the noise and vibrations much more noticeable. So my advice is when travelling in a Q400 sit in rows 12 back. 🙂 If I am right in saying that SAS operate their Q400s on flights of 2hrs+ I would probably try and avoid them as the drone gets wearing and the risk of getting stuck right next to the prop.
The cloud cleared over the lake District and we headed up cross country and began out descent from FL220 for an arrival on r/w 24 at EDI, this offered great views of the city and Leith on the left and of the bridges on the right.
We taxied in a parked on the same hard stands where we departed from in prep for the night stop, so we had to be bussed to the terminal depriving me of a possible chance of a flight deck visit! 🙁 , G-JEDI was present again so I’d guess that the 2 based Flybe Q400s at EDI just now are JEDK and JEDI.
Fear not the pics will come! 🙂 Just not tonight, it’s been a tiring day. 🙂
Photos can be found here now: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26552
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June 4, 2004 at 12:18 am